LIFE!!

So firstly I have to apologise for being so quiet. Unfortunately after I returned from Essex my dad who has MS was still suffering for his fall and had got worse so the last few weeks my life has been even more about my folks, and the gym has again become a place to destress not beast myself.

I hope you don't mind but I thought before I write and tell you everything which has happened I would take this oportunity to explain about MS as it is one of those illnesses that unless it affects you or someone you know, you might not have even heard about it.

Please note all the following is on www.mssociety.org.uk

About MS

 

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition of the central nervous system.
In MS, the coating around nerve fibres (called myelin) is damaged, causing a range of symptoms.
Around 100,000 people in the UK have MS. It's normally diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 40, and affects almost twice as many women as men.
Once diagnosed, MS stays with you for life, but treatments and specialists can help you to manage the symptoms.
We don't know the cause and we haven't yet found a cure, but research is progressing fast.

What happens in MS?

To understand what happens in MS, it's useful to understand how the central nervous system works.
A substance called myelin protects the nerve fibres in the central nervous system, which helps messages travel quickly and smoothly between the brain and the rest of the body.

In MS, your immune system, which normally helps to fight off infections, mistakes myelin for a foreign body and attacks it. This damages the myelin and strips it off the nerve fibres, either partially or completely, leaving scars known as lesions or plaques.
This damage disrupts messages travelling along nerve fibres – they can slow down, become distorted, or not get through at all.
As well as myelin loss, there can also sometimes be damage to the actual nerve fibres. It is this nerve damage that causes the accumulation of disability that can occur over time.


ME AGAIN! The horrible thing about MS is that is effects nearly every patient differently! Right, tomorrow I will try and explain more and if its ok with PapaBear I might ask him if I can interview so we can learn abit more!

On the fitness and training side of the things, my schedule is a bit messed up not just cause of PapaBear but mainly cause of the rugby world cup but hey ho, fingers crossed my boys are in it for a while. Diet wise I am reading, and learning about Intermittant fasting, (IF) although I am not following it strictly as I am taking protein shakes I am giving aspects of it a go, and when dad is better and doesnt need me as much we will give it a serious attempt.

Have any of you ever tried IF??

Much love my darlings x x

SOOOO BORING!!!

Morning my darling - ok well afternoon! How are you all? Sorry I have been a bit quiet recently - honestly I have not been up to anything interesting but working on my essay and the gym!

So what has happened.... ummmm actually nothing! The boys came to see us on Friday. Apologises for the terrible pic as I had no make up on!

Oh I brought myself a treat for 6 weeks no drinking!

Don't you just love them. Shame I never go anywhere to wear them!!

This week is a new week and a new step in the diet! We are trying for no more than 75grms of carbs in a day!! Shockingly my folks have decided to go away whilst I try and succeed in this!! If anyone has any advice on how to deal with this or a secret to success please let me know. I am also upping my cardio this week, which has already started with my 7am Spin class. Lets see if I do anymore this week shall we? Oh and for the recod Vibrams and spin don't mix!!

This weekend is a big charity weekend for me with Help for Heroes collecting at ASDA all over the country - guys in the UK if you are free please call H4H and volunteer. I am also now a promoter for http://www.spartanraces.com/ so if you want a discount on your entrance fee please let me know!!

Ok I promise to try and do something exciting this week so I can fill you in!!

Love Ya x  C x x

My Weekend! Warning - long and lots of pics!!!!

Hey all!!

So lets answer the big question first! Did I drinking this weekend? NO!!!!!!!!
I went out on Friday night, Saturday we went to Twickenham and then to a few pubs in Twickenham/Richmond area and then Soho and still I didn't drink!! Did I stick to my strict diet? No!!!! I treated myself with chocolate and a couple of meals out! But hey, considering what it could of been like thats not bad!

Before we get on to the weekend though, I must share this pic of me and my mummy!! Both wearing our home nations shirts!! Mum is her Wales Shirt and me in my England black one! How cute is my mum???!!?!?

Friday night, The BGB and I got down to London and went to the Food Market at the Southbank, we got there late so it was closing down but we saw some amazing cheese cakes but we resisted!! Instead we went and had dinner at the Canteen! I kinda messed up here with my ordering as I ordered a salad and didn't think about the dressing, well none was mentioned on the menu but it was yummy! BGB had steak and salad and chips with what according to him was an amazing ale!

I had Green Tea, a mocktail called Whats Up Doc? Bascially Carrot Juice with a bit of orange juice and then a roast chicken salad, with broad beans and celery!

Saturday Morning, I made the BGB his first ever egg white and seed omlette, he claims it wasn't too bad, I also allowed him bacon! Never have I seen someone so happy to see Pie and Mash at the rugby before!! I think that meal lasted 5 seconds! I however had my protein ball and veg! Yes I took veg in a zip-lock bag to the rugby with me! At this stage I have a confession, I did allow myself to drink Diet Coke, well in my defense there is only soooooo much water a girl can drink!!

Anyway, RUGBY WAS AMAZING!!! I apologise now for the obseen amount of photos I took of JWs bum!!! Here are a couple from the game! For me it was quite emotional seeing England play in black for some reason! Also I think if the game had lasted 5 mins more Wales could of won!

After the rugby we headed to Soho via some pubs, and then had a thai meal! Instead of having a thai green which i would of used to order with no second thoughts I ordered a chicken stir fry and steamed rice with a crunch veg salad! It was lush! First time I have had rice in months though! Ok a month a bit! At this stage I made a fatal mistake. I TOOK MY SHOES OFF!! Game over! They were not going back on!! So I made the decision to leave the boys to it and head home, after picking up a couple of chocolates! Oh they tasted good!! It was my treat for not drinking! Well I tell you what! 30 mins late my stomach was killing me! I don't know if it was the chocolate or the rice but oh my!! NEVER AGAIN!! Lesson learnt! Must stick to clean diet! - well except lunch on Sunday but I will get to that!

Sunday morning I woke up and no BGB!!!! He had stayed with the boys, had anyone thought to let me know? NO!! Did the flat stay unlocked all night and with me hardly sleeping in it? YES!! So Sunday morning slightly grumpy ClaireBear went for a little jog to clear my head, only a mile as it was my rest weekend. How did I feel? Well I felt proud for not drinking, and I knew my mum was! She had been texting me all day! But disappointed with myself for the chocolate! AHHHHH!!!! So once I had discovered BGB was ok, I decided I needed some more Claire thinking time, so I did something I haven't done since I left SA.

Now, I have been to church since SA but mainly on my own to think, not to a service. You will never guess what the sermon was about!! "WILLPOWER!" Now I know I know, this could be a bit of a horoscope situation, you know when you read one and you make it fit to your life, but even so it spoke to me! I felt happier, I felt I should be proud of myself for what I had done, and the disappointment of giving in to chocolate, is fine, that will be my next hurdle, my next step! I walked out of church and the sun was shining!! Great day!!

Then it went a bit messed up! BGB texted, he had broken his bank card and needed me to go get him! Sooooo, I walk to the tube stop and realise I don't have my travel card, well I hadn't planned on using the tube, so I had to buy two new tickets, travel to meet BGB and then back again! We walk out of the station and RAIN!!! So there went my great mood and my plans of watching the Triathlons in Hyde Park, I must warn you I was also hungry as it was now 2pm and I hadn't eaten since half 9. BGB smelt, and was terribly hungover, so we decide, as he was driving us back home, that food was the most important thing and he wanted carbs!! Sooo off to the mexican we went!! No joke I wanted in there and went "Whats the quickest starters you have?" "Bread and mexican corn popodoms!" "One of each please!!" - Bread for BGB of course, I didn't think about the pops being deep fried I wanted something there and then! I did ask for salsa not sour cream though!! Then we looked at the menu! Here are pics of our food, guess who had what!!

Food done, back to the flat, BGB showered, I packed and home we headed! Well, when I say home guess where I got BGB to drop me off!!!

x x x  And that was my weekend lovelies!! x x x

"Everything in Moderation!"

"Everything in Moderation!" or "Moderation is best", I have never heard these two phrases so much in my life as this weekend and well month in general to be honest. Now I know its my own fault as I asked everyones opinion on whether or not I should drink this weekend and these two answers came back mostly!

But serious have you ever actually thought about it. They are kinda of silly things to say, a bit like "It will be in the last place you look!" Really cause once I have found what I am looking for will I really keep looking for?? Anyway moderation! I mean today when I said to a friend I had quit drinking (no longer am I putting a time period of this) she said " Well moderation is best!" Well actually its not!!! Lets take drinking off the table here... lets replace it with say.... Fish and Chips! If I ate fish and chips 7 days a weeks and someone said I find moderation is best and I cut it down to 4 days a week, that would be moderation and yes it would be better, but what if I stopped eating the heavy oil covered fish and chips with creamy mushy peas and curry sauce completely - would that not be better for my health more than the 4 times a week, or even 4 times a year???

Anyway this was just a quick picture question rant entry to let you all know I am alive after my weekend in London and at the rugby!! I will spend some time tomorrow doing a fuller entry with pics telling you all about it!!

Hope you all had a great weekend! Let me know!!

x x x  x

Everyday is a new day!

Ok ok so I failed on day one! My cardio was a 1.5 mile walk with the dog!! I know I suck, I know I promised I would do cardio everyday no excuses but I suck! So tomorrow must be a major improvement!

But guess what?!? I have one great bit of news! I am still on the booze wagon!! Second weekend completed and that even included dinner out, all day charity cricket match and a pub quiz!! BOOM!!!

The diet wagon, completely broke down on Saturday, with a trip to the cinema. So the "Big Gay Bear" took me out for dinner at Nandos! Badge and I even checked the menu online before hand so I knew what I wanted and everything! Guess which was mine and which was the BGBs?

By the way we went to see Bridesmaids, BGBs choice, I suggested that or Transformers! Anyway so we have Nandos and I am feeling proud of myself so feel I deserve a treat!! OH YES I MESSED UP!! Frozen yoghurt, salted popcorn, Maltersers, and a Chocolate cookie! Oh well I gave myself a cheat day! I should point out the BGB is not "gay" in the sense of his sexual preferences but as in he is normally always happy and to be honest there is never ever going to be anything sexual between us so he might as well prefer men to women.

Sunday was serious fruit day! Quick gym session in the morning then off to the charity pub cricket! Sun was shinning and I had great fun! The team I was supporting was led by Al my wonderful friend! It was Al that did the pub quiz that night and a raffle! I won Pois' - so excited!!

Today, well today was today and diet, and workout were never going to really happen all for one good reason! The boys came over! Puds' aka George is 18 months old and Arry/Gollum aka Harry is 9 weeks old, in all fairness I can't blame them for diet wagon still being wonky but they are the reason today was a right off! Me and my excuses!!Lets be honest was and is because I am lazy I have no one else to blame.

So yet again tomorrow is another start! Well I guess they say everyday is a new beginning for a reason! FINGERS CROSSED!! Now where did I leave my positive attitude????

Yeah!! I survived the weekend!!

So its 4pm on Sunday and I haven't had a drink or binged!!! YEAH!!! I must admit I woke up this morning and thought what a boring weekend but it felt great to have energy, not have a hangover and not be craving carbs!!!
I don't know about you but when I drink my diet and dignity at a lot of the time goes out the window! Now with regards to my dignity this can result in occasionally dancing on the table - because I do think when i have had a drink I transform into Beyonce! But most often i lose it at exactly the same time as I lose my way with my diet! Sat in the pub after a couple of drinks even if I have had a full dinner, cheesey chips seem like a must, then after dancing it must be a burger, kebab or both in some cases!! Oh and at Twickenham! Well, in that case it must be a full fry up before the game to line my stomach for the match, then a burger straight after the game washed down with a few more ciders and then on to the wine and shooters, and then the must have after a rugby match!! THE ONE AND ONLY CURRY!!!

Then comes "The Hangover Day" - CARBS!!! Fried Egg Sandwich for breakie, Pizza for lunch and afternoon snack and then whatever  I can find in the evening. Hangover Day is probably the only day when I actually do eat every 3 hours!!

However, amazingly none of this happened this weekend! I even made it to the gym both yesterday and today!! The diet has stayed in tact and I am smiling - bored but smiling!! And for the first time in ages the only thought going through my mind is "BRING ON THIS WEEK!" I am ready and waiting!!

But before we get on to next week, let me tell you about this weekends gym sessions! Saturday morning I did a workout with the lovely Badge ( you will hear a lot about him I think), now I know the weights I am doing aren't that impressive to say the least but we are working on form and finding exercises which I like, can do and feel, then I did my first Pilates class in ages! The lovely Neil made sure it involved a lot of stretches for me! Today my workout was with "Perv", ladies you would love him! Tall, dark and handsome - he is also young and so very much in love with his girlfriend - cute and sickening at the same time. So here are the workouts!

Saturday:
5 rounds of 3reps * Deadlifts 17.5kgs 3 reps of power cleans 17.5kgs
3 sets of 20 Step ups with 5kg dumbells - 10 each legs
 5 rounds of 3reps * Deadlifts 17.5kgs 3 reps of power cleans 17.5kgs
3 sets of 12 Ab push ups 6kg medicine ball
3 rounds of  10 "Percy's" - 2 rounds with 12.5kgs going up to 15kgs for the last round - A percy is my name for an excercise which I love and hate at the same time. Its a clean, should press, bar down, pressup on the bar, burpee back up!
3 supersets of 10 * row with static lunge 5kg and 10 lat pull down 20kgs
Finished with the most pathetic 1 min box!

Sunday:
3 rounds of the following with 12.5kg barbell - I should mention these were done on the BOSU thingy!!! Therefore I missed out the Pressups (which I could of done) and the lunges.
10 * Bicep Curls
10* Bentover Row
10* Upright Row
10 * Shoulder Press
10 * Good Mornings
10* Front Squat
10 * Stiff leg Deadlift
10 * Overhead Squats
3 rounds of 12 of GHD Situps and 5 Inverted pullups (I struggle with this these big time!)

So that and watching rubbish TV has been my weekend! So what is this week going to bring? Well who knows! But whatever it is I am ready!

POSITIVE ATTITUDE ALL THE WAY!!!